Humanitarian Project Management

Our Training Team

Our highly qualified trainers provide a unique and exceptional training experience that combines quality with practical knowledge. Our team has extensive experience in managing humanitarian projects during complex emergencies and natural disasters in Africa and the Middle East, ensuring the delivery of training content grounded in real field experience and global best practices.

Program Objectives

By the end of this course, participants are expected to be able to:

• Understand the stages of the project cycle (programming, identification, formulation, implementation, monitoring/evaluation, and closure) and how to manage each within humanitarian and development contexts.
• Analyze key project stakeholders (beneficiaries, partner organizations, donors, and the local community) and define their respective roles in the project.
• Develop a Logical Framework (LogFrame) for a humanitarian project, including objectives, outcomes, activities, indicators, and assumptions.
• Prepare project proposals and budgets suitable for local organizations operating in Global South contexts, taking into account limited resources and local partnerships.
• Implement Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) mechanisms for a humanitarian project to ensure quality, transparency, and accountability.
• Strengthen the capacity of local organizations in institutional planning for sustainability and in applying lessons learned to improve future projects.

Program Methodologys

The program adopts a blend of interactive learning and practical application methods, tailored to the specific circumstances of local organizations in the Global South:

• Interactive Lectures: To introduce key concepts of Project Cycle Management and best practices.
• Case Study Analysis: Focus on local and regional experiences from the Global South to highlight real-world contexts.
• Practical Workshops: Team-based exercises to design a project - from stakeholder analysis and logical framework development to proposal writing and budgeting.
• Interactive Exercises: Including the development of M&E plans, identification of performance indicators, and implementation tracking.
• Facilitated Discussions: Addressing challenges faced by local organizations - such as funding, human resources, monitoring data, and accountability - and exploring solutions.
• Institutional Planning Session: Each participant team develops an initial implementation plan for applying the acquired knowledge within their organization.

Course Modules

Module 1: Introduction to Project Cycle Management (PCM)

• Understanding the concept of the Project Cycle and its various stages: programming, identification, formulation, implementation, monitoring/evaluation, and closure.
• Why PCM is important for humanitarian and development organizations – especially for local organizations in the Global South.
• Core principles: results-based management, beneficiary participation, sustainability, and accountability.

Module 2: Stakeholder and Needs Analysis

• Context and needs analysis: how to conduct an initial needs assessment.
• Stakeholder analysis: who are they, what influence do they have, and how are they affected by the project?
• Defining target groups and beneficiaries and engaging them in project design to ensure local relevance and ownership.

Module 3: Project Design, Logical Framework, and Proposal Writing

• From problem analysis to formulating objectives (overall and specific), outcomes, and outputs.
• Developing the Logical Framework (LogFrame): activities, results, indicators, and assumptions.
• Preparing a project proposal—structure, content, budget, work plan, and risk management.
• Budgeting: building a budget, cost categories, cost control, and linking the work plan to financial planning.
• Reviewing sample proposals: common mistakes and how to make your proposal more fundable and competitive.

Module 4: Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation

• Developing an implementation plan, including timelines, resource allocation, team organization, and partnership management.
• Defining performance indicators, data collection and analysis, and progress reporting.
• Types of evaluations (formative and summative), lessons learned, and institutional learning.
• Accountability and quality assurance: ensuring fair and transparent project delivery, beneficiary participation, and continuous learning from results.

Module 5: Sustainability and Project Closure

• How to ensure project sustainability beyond donor funding and how to build local capacities.
• Project closure: finalizing activities, handing over results, documenting lessons learned, archiving data and reports, and celebrating achievements.
• Planning for future projects: transitioning “from project to program/institutional strategy.”

Module 6: Local Organizations in the Global South – Applications and Challenges

• Key challenges for local organizations: limited funding, technical capacity gaps, data scarcity, and unstable operating environments.
• Opportunities for local organizations: proximity to communities, deep contextual understanding, and greater flexibility.
• Case analysis of local organizations in the Global South – what has worked and what can be learned.
• Developing an internal action plan for the local organization: identifying first steps, responsible actors, available resources, and how to initiate implementation.